***GUEST SERIES BY SIXTH-GRADE DARLA***

Begin the “Start a Kids’ Book Club” series here.

Although it would be easy to dive into all the workings of Bookworm Wednesday, I have to point out that none of it would have happened without my mom literally opening the door. No matter how smart, or excited, or careful I would be, I’m not allowed to invite the neighborhood to my house every week without my parents’ okay. That’s what my mom gave me. She wrote about our early experience with BookWorm Wednesday here – it’s interesting to read her perspective.

Kids that start projects like this need to have at least one adult that will open the door. I needed a place to run the book club – I suppose I could have tried the library or community center, but Mom said our basement would work, and she would supervise, so that became the base for BookWorm Wednesday.

It helped a lot that she’d just written the book, Empowering Youth: How to Encourage Young Leaders to Do Great Things. I’m pretty sure when she said, “Yes” to this project, she was following the advice of all the people she’d interviewed while she researched the book.

Ideas for Finding an Adult Mentor

• A parent mentor worked in my case, but you could also try your friend’s parent or other neighbor.

• What about the library? Your community may employ a youth librarian who would love to help.

• School media specialists are also tuned into the needs of young readers. Maybe there’s an after-school program that could serve as your headquarters.

• Connect with YMCA, Scouts, 4-H, or other youth-service agencies in your community. You might be just the person or project they’ve been looking for.

How to Start a Kid’s Book Club series:
Read Across America – Youth Leader for Literacy Project
How to Start Your Own BookWorm Wednesday
Adult Mentor
Book Selection
Activities
Safety
Marketing
Management
Teamwork
Money

This series of articles is a part of Read Across America, sponsored by NEA and Youth Service America. Darla — named one of the 2009 Youth Leaders for Literacy — is sponsoring this campaign to help other youth start book clubs in their neighborhoods. Please come back next week for the continuation of this series, which will end the last week in April, in conjunction with Global Youth Service Day.

Positively Speaking has been published for March, and focuses on the National Education Association’s nationwide project, Read Across America.

Please visit 5 Minutes for Mom to find out about the many ways people are promoting literacy this month, and always.

You may also be interested in these recent articles related to literacy:

* Read Across America – Youth Leader for Literacy

* How to Start Your Own BookWorm Wednesday – the beginning of a series by sixth-grade guest-blogger, Darla

* Share a Story – Shape a Future

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You can also follow me on Twitter.

***GUEST SERIES BY SIXTH-GRADE DARLA***

I have always loved reading and have collected shelves-full of books over the past several years. When I moved to a new neighborhood full of kids two years ago, I saw it as an opportunity to start a neighborhood book club. I alphabetized all my books and handed out fliers. I though this would be fun, and could encourage kids to discover great stories, while participating in a weekly “club” of sorts. Now it is a booming weekly neighborhood book club and is helping to fulfill my dream of being a teacher when I grow up.

Almost every Wednesday during the school year, from 4:00-4:30 a group of often 10 or more kids comes over to my house and checks out books. They eat a snack while my friends and I read them story, then they do a craft that’s based on the book. Like, when the book was about leprechauns we made Fruit Loop rainbows. I have led this project from the beginning, but I’ve recruited friends to help share the work.

During the next two months, I’ll share with you what’s worked for me and my BookWorm Wednesday teammates, as we round out year two of this neighborhood project. It takes a lot more than just a love of books!

Wouldn’t you like to host your own book club? I’ll address the following topics in the coming weeks. Continue reading to learn how!
How to Start a Kid’s Book Club series:
Read Across America – Youth Leader for Literacy Project
How to Start Your Own BookWorm Wednesday
Adult Mentor
Book Selection
Activities
Safety
Marketing
Management
Teamwork
Money

Previous BookWorm Wednesday posts:

A Teacher in the Making
A BookWorm Wednesday Halloween
BookWorm Wednesday Potion Recipe
Buy with Amazon and Donate to BookWorm Wednesday
BookWorm Wednesday Gets Some Press

Thank you for spreading the word about Darla’s literacy project:
The Book Chook — Daring to be Different with Literacy
Pratham Books – Literacy Project Started by a 10-Year-Old

This series of articles is a part of Read Across America, sponsored by NEA and Youth Service America. Darla — named one of the 2009 Youth Leaders for Literacy — is sponsoring this campaign to help other youth start book clubs in their neighborhoods. Please come back next week for the continuation of this series, which will end the last week in April, in conjunction with Global Youth Service Day.

For more great ideas, please visit We are THAT Family.

In the blog event, Share a Story – Shape a Future, an ensemble effort of people passionate about literacy will share practical, useable, everyday ideas to promote reading. They’ll also offer book giveaways and free downloads.

Book Chook author and Share a Story – Shape a Future organizer Susan Stephenson explains:

Through Share a Story – Shape a Future we hope to build a community of readers, by sharing ideas and encouraging each other. When the event opens on Monday, March 9, 2009, there will be plenty of opportunities for you to join us and share your ideas.

Join in on the literacy fun! Read more about Share a Story – Shape a Future here.

Last month, the National Education Association and Youth Service America named my 12-year-old daughter a Youth Leader for Literacy. This means her literacy promotion project is one of only 25 selected from throughout the country.

The campaign starts this week, with Dr. Seuss’s birthday and the start of Read Across America. For two months, Darla will write a series of articles which share tips for helping other youth to start BookWorm Wednesday clubs in their own neighborhoods.

From the NEA site:

Youth Leaders for Literacy is an initiative of NEA and Youth Service America (YSA) to help youth direct their enthusiasm and creativity into reading-related service projects. The NEA and Youth Service America developed the program in 2001 to encourage and celebrate literacy service of our nation’s young people, and to provide them with resources to conduct reading-related activities that benefit others.

Making a difference in the lives of America’s children is what the relationship between the NEA and YSA is all about. The end of April will culminate with YSA’s Global Youth Service Day, April 24-26, 2009. I’ll host a carnival here, where individuals and groups can describe the youth service projects happening in their schools and communities on Global Youth Service Day.

Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss!
How to Start a Kid’s Book Club series:
Read Across America – Youth Leader for Literacy Project
How to Start Your Own BookWorm Wednesday
Adult Mentor
Book Selection
Activities
Safety
Marketing
Management
Teamwork
Money

Thank you for spreading the word about Darla’s literacy project:
The Book Chook — Daring to be Different with Literacy
Pratham Books – Literacy Project Started by a 10-Year-Old
Jen Robinson’s Book Page

Previous BookWorm Wednesday posts:

A Teacher in the Making
A BookWorm Wednesday Halloween
BookWorm Wednesday Potion Recipe
Buy with Amazon and Donate to BookWorm Wednesday
BookWorm Wednesday Gets Some Press